Former Wales footballer Malcolm Allen tells of battle against his demons

The TV commentator from Deiniolen said his love of alcohol almost led to his self-destruction

Malcolm Allen has talked about his battle with drink for a TV documentary

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A former Wales international footballer has opened his heart about his drinking problems in an emotionally charged TV documentary.

Malcolm Allen was one of Welsh football’s brightest stars in the 1980s and 1990s and has been a prominent football pundit for nearly 20 years.

But throughout most of this time he has been battling against his darkest demons.

He played for some of the top football teams of the day – such as Watford, Aston Villa, Norwich, Millwall and Newcastle United – as well as winning 14 Wales caps, before his career was cut cruelly short by a serious knee injury at the age of 28.

But as his football career went from strength to strength, he had serious issues in his personal life. Allen, from Deiniolen, near Caernarfon, became increasingly dependent on alcohol.

Allen, a commentator on the S4C series Sgorio, said: “My two passions in life at the time were drinking and playing football and ultimately I just couldn’t handle both. One passion took over the other.

“It was not really in my character to come clean about my problems and ask for help.

“I was living in a cocoon where everyone was a tough guy. We were in a world where you didn’t talk about these things. I should have had the courage to put my hands up and admit that I couldn’t cope anymore.”

But after being on the wrong side of the law on a number of times, he has now turned over a new leaf with the help of his current partner, Rhian Griffiths.

He said: “What I’ve learned is that time and love cost nothing to anybody in life and time and love have played a big part in how I have rebuilt my life.

“I used to keep everything locked inside until it all came out like a ball of fire, but I’m not like that anymore.”

Contributors to the programme include his former managers Kevin Keegan and Mick McCarthy, ex-team-mate Iwan Roberts from Harlech, and cycling coach Sir David Brailsford, who also grew up in Deiniolen.

Keegan said: “It’s not just good enough to have a lot of ability and play for a big club, you know it’s how you handle that. You’ve got to get a lot of things right and it doesn’t take much to get things wrong.”

Malcolm Allen: Cyfle Arall (Another Chance) is on S4C on Thursday, September 4, at 9.30pm.